STUDY: Effects of ULTRA OMEGA on High-Impact Sport Athletes

Contact sport athletes endure extensive physiological strain in training and competition. These sports, such as Rugby League, involve repeated sprint intervals and high impact body collisions, often resulting in tissue damage and inflammation. Female participation has also dramatically increased in many of these contact sports, over the last decade with more professional teams taking part in national competitions.

Nutrition strategies for elite rugby athletes has traditionally focussed on meeting total energy requirements with a focus on carbohydrates and proteins, largely ignoring the variety of dietary fats⁽¹⁾. Omega-3 fats are the best example of providing physiological support to contact sport athletes via recovery and repair such as lowering heart rate⁽²⁾, reducing muscle soreness⁽³⁾ and limiting neural inflammation⁽⁴⁾. Optimal omega-3 status can only be achieved through intake of the pre-formed omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), however, it is well known that many athletes fall short of daily recommendations for adults (minimum of 500 mg / day of combined EPA and DHA)⁽⁵⁾ .

A recently published Australian study of elite female Rugby League athletes has tackled this topic head on by investigating the impact of ad libitum provision of PILLAR Performance, ULTRA OMEGA fish oil capsules on the athlete’s omega-3 status throughout the rugby league season⁽⁶⁾. Twenty-four female athletes, all from the same professional team, took part in the research study. The athletes were assessed using a finger prick sample for the red blood cell biomarker, Omega-3 Index (O3I = EPA + DHA) and Arachidonic Acid:EPA ratio (AA:EPA). The team O3I was 4.77% where the target is >8% and their AA/EPA was 14.89 where the target is <11. In response to these results, a nutrition education session was conducted in collaboration with the team’s Sport Dietitian and this session promoted the role of both EPA and DHA as part of their recovery plan. The athletes were recommended daily dose of four capsules per day providing 2,160 mg EPA and 1,440 mg DHA a total dose slightly above that published recommendations for elite athletes⁽⁷⁾.

At the end of the season (10 weeks), the team’s mean O3I had significantly increased to 7.28% underpinned by elevated DHA and the AA:EPA ratio significantly decreased to a mean of 6.67, driven primarily by the increase in EPA. However, these improvements were varied between the athletes and was due largely to athlete engagement. Those players meeting the daily recommendations for EPA and DHA intake experienced the best outcomes during the season and emphasised the need for consistent supplemental intake over competition cycle.     

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